Najma's Journey (chapter)
Najma's Journey is the first and only chapter of Najma's Journey and the prequel to King of the Jungle. Synopsis It was over honey brown eyes watched in shock as the dark chocolate furred body of Shujaa fell lifelessly to the ground. Najma a blonde furred lioness with honey brown eyes looked at her fallen leader with tears in her eyes, before looking at the two invaders who came challenging their king and defeated him, the two invaders had desert-brown fur, black manes and reddish-brown eyes. The two males came forward, "I'm Thimba and this is my brother Kanu." Thimba introduced Najma noticed that Thimba had three claw-like scars going across his muzzle while Kanu seemed to be slightly shorter. "We'll let you say your goodbyes to your leader, but we expect you to be back to the den when you’re done." Thimba ordered. When two lions left the blonde furred lioness turned to Shujaa's mate. "What do we do Bayyina?" Bayyina was a light brown lioness with light blue eyes that had tears in them. "We will be strong because that's what Shujaa would've wanted." Bayyina said her voice breaking. One by one the seven lionesses approached their deceased leader and said their goodbyes, before giving Bayyina some private time to say her goodbye. Once Bayyina was done the lionesses rejoined the alpha lioness. "Come let’s give Shujaa a decent burial." The lionesses dug a hole and gently pushed the fallen Shujaa in and covered him up. "Goodbye Shujaa." Bayyina whispered before leading the others back to the den. As the lionesses returned to the den a chestnut furred lioness named Inaya came up to Najma and asked. "What do you think those males are going to do to us?" Najma looked at the chestnut lioness before answering "I don't know." "Isn't obvious." A grey-brown lioness named Alfajiri spoke up. "They're going to pick their new queens." A series of whispers broke out amongst the other lionesses. "Bayyina is this true?" Another light brown lioness named Nuha asked softly. "Yes it’s true with Shujaa dead and those two as are our new leaders I am no longer queen." The lionesses walked in silence taking in Bayyina's words, two of them are taken to be queens. When the lionesses got back to the den, the two black maned lions had the seven lionesses line up and began looking them over and dismissed the older lionesses like Bayyina, Alfajiri, Jaha, and Ibtisam and kept Najma, Nuha, and Inaya. The four older lionesses didn't like how Thimba and Kanu circled the younger lionesses like they were a piece of meat; the two lions looked over Najma, Inaya, and Nuha closely before settling on Najma. "You’re going to be our queen." Thimba purred as he and Kanu went in closer to Najma. The six lionesses that weren't picked look horrified and Bayyina stepped forward growling. "You can't do that!" "Oh we can't?" Kanu asked speaking for the first time. "We are the leaders of this pride, and that means we can choose whoever we want, and we have a particular liking to blondes." Kanu said getting up into Bayyina's face. Too bad none of you are blondes it might have spared her." Kanu then walked away leaving an angry Bayyina. The light brown lioness watched Thimba whisper something into Najma's ear before leaving her. Bayyina and the rest of the lionesses went over to the blonde furred lioness that was looking distraught. When Najma noticed that her pride sisters were around her, she threw herself at Bayyina. "Oh Bayyina." She cried. "Shh." Bayyina hushed. "What's wrong?" "They said that when I go into heat that I should approach them both for mating whether I want to or not." "That's horrible!" Jaha an amber furred lioness exclaimed. "I agree they can't force you into mating." Ibtisam a dark beige lioness said. "Well what can we do?" Alfajiri asked. "We could run away." Nuha offered meekly. "No!" Bayyina snapped. "We can't." "W-why not?" The light brown lioness asked meekly. "Because Nuha, it’s a tough life for rogue lionesses always wandering from place to place for a pride to accept you only to be chased out by the lionesses of said pride." Bayyina said with a distant look in her eyes. The lionesses knew Bayyina had been a rogue lioness before meeting Shujaa and joining their little pride. "So what do we do?" Jaha asked. "We don't let them have a chance with Najma; one of us will always be with her when her heat starts." Bayyina explained the others nodded in agreement. A week had passed and there was still tension between the lionesses and their two new leaders especially now that Najma had entered her heat. They made sure that the blonde lioness was never alone; Najma also took to avoiding Thimba and Kanu like the plague. Though one day it was all for naught when Najma was left with Nuha while the others were out hunting, Thimba and Kanu were supposed to be patrolling the area. Najma and Nuha had gone to the river to relax. The two lionesses were making small talk, when they heard something rustling in the grass. Nuha went to investigate leaving Najma alone, wandering into the grass Nuha never noticed a black mane figure all she ever felt was something collided with the back of her head knocking her unconscious. Najma was becoming worried Nuha hadn't come back, Najma was about to go looking for her when an unwanted figure came out of the grass. "Hello Blondie." Kanu purred. Najma backed away and turned to run but found the path block by Thimba. "Didn't we tell you to come to us when you went into heat?" Thimba growled out menacingly. Najma tried to put on a brave front, "I'm not going to mate with either of you." "Well it’s too bad you don't have a choice." Thimba growled before his brother came up behind her and knocked her out. Once unconscious the two lions had their way with her, once satisfied the two lions left lioness returning to the den. It was hours later before Nuha regained consciousness. "Najma!" The light brown lioness quickly climbed to her paws ignoring the throbbing pain in her head, and headed back to where she last left the blonde lioness. Nuha was horrified when she found Najma, the blonde lioness was unconscious her fur was scruffy and she was covered in mating marks. Nuha began to nuzzle the other lioness gently trying to wake her up. When Najma woke up memories of what happened passed over like rushing water and she began to cry as Nuha tried to comfort her. "T-They did i-it." Najma cried brokenly and at that moment the hunting party showed up. "There you are." Bayyina said before noticing that something was wrong. "What happened?" Nuha began explaining how she had gone to investigate a she heard and was knocked out then when she woke up she found Najma like this. Bayyina and the others looked enraged; they didn't need further explanation as to what happened. "Najma let’s get you back home." "NO!" Najma snapped. "Please just leave me alone, I need some time alone I'm not ready to confront them." "Alright." Bayyina agreed. "I'm going to have a word with our so called leaders." Bayyina and the others went back to the main den, Nuha stayed behind. "N-Najma I-I'm sorry that I-I wasn't a better guard." Nuha apologized. Najma looked at Nuha seeing the guilt on the young lioness' face before sighing, "It’s alright Nuha now could you please leave me alone, I need some time alone." Nuha looked unsure. "If you’re sure?" Najma nodded her head, Nuha hesitated before leaving. Najma felt sore as she lay in the dirt, she could still smell those males all over her, with some difficulty Najma got up and started rolling around in the dirt; scrubbing her in attempt to rid herself of their scent, when she was done she threw herself into the river to wash herself, Najma stayed in the water for a while before pulling herself out and grooming herself. As she groomed herself with troubling thoughts plaguing her. ’What am I going to do?’ Najma thought. ’I can't stay in this pride anymore, knowing those two lions are going to do the same thing next time.’ Najma shivered at the thought of going through that again. ’Bayyina said the life of a rogue lioness is hard, but it’s not impossible. I have to leave; Bayyina and the others can't protect me forever.’ Najma thought back on how Thimba and Kanu had gotten to her, she didn't blame Nuha for what happened, but it reaffirmed her belief that the others couldn't watch her single day, it was no way to live and with that Najma made her decision; she was going leave the pride without telling her pride sisters. "Goodbye." Najma whispered before following the river out of their pride's territory, it wouldn't be until the next day that Bayyina and the others would discover Najma gone and would make their own decision to leave as well without Thimba and Kanu knowing it. The two lions would search in vain for all their lionesses unwilling to let them get away, but they all left through the river where their scents vanished for good. Najma wondered for several days, only managing to catch small prey animals to feed on, she wasn't use to hunting alone and it would only get more difficult. As she got heavier and heavier hunting became more difficult and she had to resort to catching rodents or sometimes eating carrion. She felt very lonely she missed the company of her pride sisters; she missed their conversations, joking with them, hunting with them, and grooming each other. As she looked at her large belly, she was torn in how she felt for this little being growing inside her, there was a part of her that told her to abandon the cub once it was born after all what were these cubs to her she hadn't asked for them and now she had to suffer for it, but another part of her said that this cub wasn't at fault, it didn't ask to be born, and so Najma was conflicted about what to do once the cub was born. It was a hot and sunny day when she felt pain in her stomach, it was then that she knew it was time, that cub was coming, and began searching for a quiet and secluded place to birth this new life. There was hours of pain, as the blonde lioness lay on the ground hidden in a thicket she pushed and pushed until she felt something slide out of her. Najma looked in wonder at the little cub; it was covered in blood and other bodily fluids, as if guided by her maternal instincts she bit through the cord connecting them and pulled the cub close and began licking it clean. Najma was genuinely surprised by the appearance of the little cub it had white fur and was a female; she would have to wait to see the color of its eyes, for now Najma knew love. The part of her that told her to abandon and forget about the cub was forgotten as she placed the little female near her teat and allowed her to nurse. "Hmm, I'll call you Niara.” Najma murmured before going to sleep. ’I'm glad you don't look like your so called fathers.’ Now with her little cub, Najma had to find enough food to produce milk for her newborn daughter. For the first few days Najma couldn't move more than a few yards away from her little one in search of food, she would carry Niara with her when she went to get a drink. As soon as Niara's eyes opened, which were revealed to be bright gold eyes Najma began taking her on her hunting trips concealing the little white fur cub in a nest of grass telling the cub not move or make a peep, sometimes when she returned from hunting she half expected Niara to be taken, but they were lucky in the end what chance did a lone lioness and her baby have? In the end Najma began searching for a new pride to take them in. The two wandered the savannah looking for a pride to take them in, they found a couple of prides whose Kings were willing to accept them, but the lionesses from both those prides looked at them in cold anger and Najma knew to look elsewhere for a pride and new home. As the two wandered from place to place Najma had a difficult time hunting anything bigger than a burrowing critter as a result her milk supply was being to dwindle, so Niara was becoming thin, and so during a hunting trip Najma had gotten reckless, and was rewarded with a hoof kick to the shoulder not one to give up she continued after the animal until she caught it. Dragging her kill back to where she had hidden her precious baby, she was met with the sight of a rogue male clawing the den where her baby was, enraged Najma charged the male biting and clawing at him the male pushed her off fighting back, before deciding it wasn't worth it and left. The fight had irritated her injury but inflicted new ones; Najma limped toward her cub who had come out after hearing her mother chase away the rogue and nuzzled against her, and looked at her with gold eyes filled with loving adoration. Najma went back to her kill and ate ravenously before nursing Niara who greed drank her mother's milk. In time Najma's injuries proved to be hindering as she was unable to chase her prey when she hunted forcing her to eat mice, bugs, anything to keep her milk up, sometimes she would play dead for the vultures in order to catch them for their survival, but it didn't help much as her milk began to dwindle even further as her cub cried desperately from hunger. Najma watched helplessly as her cub cried from hunger and resolved to find a pride that would take them in. It was during one of their travels that Najma overheard a group of migratory birds talking about how great and wonderful the Pride-lands were as well as the pride that lived there. Najma approached the birds and question them about the pride finding out that the pride was known for never turning away those in need. The blonde lioness pleased with what she found out got directions on where to go and resumed her journey with new hope after nearly three months of wandering. The blonde lioness and her little white furred cub went on their way despite Najma's shoulder injury hindering her abilities, it was times like this that she wished Bayyina, Jaha, Alfajiri, Nuha, Ibtisam, and Inaya were here to help her, or that she had waited for them so they could have left together, and her cub was paying for her impulsiveness and selfishness. The journey was difficult with Najma not being able to hunt normally, so she resorted back to chasing vultures away from week-old kills to keep her dwindling milk supply up for Niara, who as time went on began looking more and more thin. Najma was worried that her little cub would be spirited away by the Great Kings, and so she pushed past her injuries determined to get to the Pride-lands for her baby. During one their travels Najma heard a sound that sent shivers up her spine, it was the laughter of hyenas, Najma looked around for anywhere to hide her cub, but there was no place to hide her, so Najma placed herself over Niara protectively, so she wouldn't be taken first. The hyenas had seen the lone lioness and her cub and thought she would be easy prey with her injuries, but they were wrong. Najma held her ground against them in spite of being outnumbered five to one. A couple of hyenas jumped at her, but she swiped at them with her claws knocking them down, when one hyena tried to reach under her to get her cub, she bite it in the throat ending its life, another hyena jumped on her hide biting and clawing causing Najma to yowl in pain before reaching around and pulling it off and tearing its throat out. It was long before the hyenas gave up attacking the lioness it wasn't worth it and left. When the hyenas left Najma slumped to the ground feeling her injuries, Niara crawled out from under her mother and nuzzled her comfortingly. "Mommy?" Niara asked looking at her mother's tired and beaten form. "It’s alright, mommy's just very tired. Najma answered wearily Niara just accepted it and curled up into her mother's chest lulled to sleep by mother's heartbeat. As Najma laid on the ground feeling the extent of her injuries, her shoulder had not recovered from the kick she'd received, nor were the bites and scratches from her fight with the rogue, she could feel that some kind of infection must have settled in, and now with these new injuries Najma doubted that she would recover from them, her body condition was poor: she was stick-thin, fur dull and unkempt, she wouldn't recover, so with that revelation in mind Najma devoured the deceased hyena for energy and continued onward with a new plan: Pass Niara over to another lioness. Najma traveled onward occasionally asking animals if she was going in the right direction for the Pride-lands, re-energized by the knowledge she pushed herself forward. Food was hard to come by even carrion, and so her milk finally dried up, Najma was so close she crossed a pride of lions' territory, but she had no idea if it was the Pride-lands, and so Najma finally collapsed her little one curled against her chest. She prayed some kind soul would take her cub in and give her what she couldn't, her energy spent as well as her iron will. "My little one your mother doesn't know if she'll live to see you be adopted or grow up, but know this your mother loves you now and always. Your mother is also sorry she brought you into this harsh life instead of bring you into a loving pride." These were Najma's last words before slipping into unconsciousness. Name Translations *'Alfajiri': Dawn *'Bayyina': Testament *'Ibtisam': Smile, Grin *'Inaya': Providence *'Jaha': Grandeur *'Kanu': Wildcat *'Najma': Star *'Nuha': Intellect, Mind *'Shujaa': Hero *'Thimba '- Lion Hunter Category:Chapters